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Nothing Records

From NinWiki

Nothing Records was the record label founded by Trent Reznor and John Malm in 1992. The label was run from within its larger parent company, Interscope, and became defunct as of 2004. A full list of releases bearing the Nothing imprint can be viewed at the Nothing Records catalog.

Background

Nothing Records is most well-known for its first two original signings, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. Other artists signed to Nothing rarely attained the same level of popularity that NIN and Manson did. However, the label gained a semi-iconic status within the industrial rock scene and set up Radio Nothing over the internet as a way to provide a collection of free MP3 music streams, compiled by Nothing label artists, producers and fans.

In September 2004, coinciding with Reznor leaving New Orleans for the west coast, the Nine Inch Nails website announced "nothing studios: 1994-2004," suggesting that Nothing Studios was no more, as well as proving to be the end of the associated record label. Reznor went on to sue co-founder Malm for fraud (among other things), thus ensuring that the Nothing era had ended.

In a May 5, 2005 post to nin.com, Reznor wrote, "To be clear: my involvement with Nothing Records is over. Is Nothing Records alive or an entity? You'd have to ask John Malm (we're not really speaking that much these days)... Nothing studios is still in New Orleans and I'm not sure what I'll do with it. I'll figure that out when I finish touring."

While With Teeth and its following singles carry the Nothing Records logo, Reznor has publicly stated that this was at the insistence of Malm. One curiousity is that the "Survivalism" promos carry the "Nothing" label, but the singles do not.

Artists

Additionally, Coil was under contract for a record but it was never delivered. Furthermore, John Bergin was signed briefly under the name Trust Obey, but the album he recorded (Hands of Ash) was released on Fifth Column Records instead, with a sticker quoting Reznor's reaction to the recording: "Not a great commercial potential."

Nothing also distributed music from Warp Records, England's much respected electronic music label, under an exclusive license in the U.S.